Grain storage container



3%? D. & HOUSTON GRAIN STORGE CONTAINBF Filed May 4,1965

IM 'ENTOR. [DU/ML D 5. HOU570/V BY JMM & ala/M A TTOR/VEYS United StatesPatent 3,337,094 GRAIN STORAGE CONTAINER Donald Brenner Houston,Barford, England, assignor to Massey-Ferguson (Farm Services) Limited,Coventry, England Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 453,046 Claims priority,application Great Britain, May 8, 1964, 19,350/ 64 6 Claims. (Cl.222196) This invention relates to storage containers for particulatematerial, for example grain or Portland cement.

A problem encountered in storing such particulate materials incontainers in the form of tanks or bins with withdrawal aperturesadjacent their lower ends is that the materials have a tendency to forma bridge above the Withdrawal aperture when the tank is being emptied.The existence of such a bridge prevents material from flowing to thewithdrawal aperture and consequently the bridge has to be broken beforefurther material can be withdrawn.

According to the present invention a storage container for particulatematerial comprises, a wall substantially totally enclosing a materialstorage space, a fluid-tight bag attached to the inside of the wall andconnected through the wall to a source of fluid pressure externalthereto, so that in the event of the formation of a bridge by materialwithin the storage space, the bag can be pressurized to break down thebridge.

Preferably, a plurality of bags in the form of tubes hang downwardlyfrom the upper parts of the wall, all such tubes being connected to aring main pipe capable of being connected to a source of air pressureand of being pressurized thereby. The ring main pipe is preferablysituated outside the wall.

Some bulk containers are shaped so that there is a definite junctionbetween the side portions of the wall and the roof or base, others e.g.spherical containers do not have separate portions which may be termed aroof or a base. The use of the term wall in this specification isintended to include a roof and a base.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described simply by way ofexample with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a graincontainer with part of the outside cut away to show the interior.

The drawing shows a container whose sides 2. define a cylinder, standingon a base 3 and capped by a conical roof 4; the roof is provided with afiller opening 6 and a closure 7 therefor. The container contains aquantity of grant which is itself shown cut away.

Encircling the roof 4 is a ring main pipe 8 which can be fed through apipe 9 with compressed air from a pump 10 controlled by a valve 11. Aseries of branch pipes 12 are connected to the ring main pipe by flangedconnections 13 which seal against holes in the roof 4.

Long air tight tubes 14 closed at one end are air tightly joined at theother end to the inner ones of the flanged connections 13 and hang downinto the body of the container.

In operation, as grain fills the container, the bottom ends of the tubes14 become trapped and as the level rises, the air is squeezed out ofthem, the valve 11 being turned to a venting position. When thecontainer is full and the grain has been stored for some time, theconsistency of the grain mass may, for biochemical reasons, change froma free flowing particulate substance to a moist mass having a tendencyto coagulate and form a bridge. 7

The drawing shows an opening 15 in the base of the container 1 and apipe 16 capable of receiving an auger conveyor 17 for withdrawal ofgrain from the container.

' 3,337,094 Ce Patented Aug. 22, 1967 There is also shown at 18 anexample of a bridge formed in the grain mass 5 above the opening 15. Thedrawing illustrates one tube 14a which does not extend into the cavitybelow the bridge and a tube 141: which does. Both tubes are shown withpressure applied to them.

The tubes are made of sheet synthetic material such as polyethylene andcan either be formed from two long strips of material joined along theiredges or from a single sheet by joining the two longitudinal edgestogether and making a folded joint at one end. Clearly more elaboratetubes or bags can be made to the extent of providing finger tubesextending laterally or in any other direction, away from the main tube.The common essential of all the tubes is that they should be fluid tightand that when filled with fluid they should occupy a larger volume thanwhen not so filled.

Air pressure applied within the tubes will tend to make them expand andexert forces in a generally horizontal direction throughout the grainmass. In the case of the part of tube 14b not surrounded by grain, therewill be no resistance to expansion of the tube and hence a bulb will beformed. The tendency will be for the tube to break the under surface ofthe bridge locally adjacent to the point where the bulb tapers into thegrain-constrained part of the tube.

It is found that the application for force to the grain in thehorizontal direction, together with local weakening of the bridge wheretubes project through it, is normally suflicient to break down thebridge.

Clearly the invention as described in its preferred embodiment can bemodified to suit diiferent circumstances. The material stored may formsuch strong bridges that it might be necessary to use water pressure orany other hydraulic liquid pressure. In large installations it would bepossible to install concentric rings of tubes or other patterns whichmay be found to be more efficient. Also it would be within the presentinvention to apply pressure sequentially to different tubes or groups oftubes, e.g. pressure could be applied alternatively to two groups oftubes placed on opposite sides of the container.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate material comprising:a hollow container, an opening in the container through which materialis withdrawn from the container, at least one fluid pressure responsive,expansible and contractable member suspended from one end within saidcontainer so as to extend into and be surrounded by the particulatematerial, and means for selectively pressurizing and venting said memberto loosen coagulated particulate material surrounding said member topermit the material to be withdrawn from the container through saidopening.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 wherein said expansible a'ndcontractable member comprises an inflatable tube.

3. A container for storing particulate material having a base with acentrally located opening therein through which the particulate materialis withdrawn, a main pipe connected with a source of fluid pressure, aplurality of branch pipes each connecting said main pipe with theinterior of the container, said branch pipes terminating at a pointspaced vertically above the base, and a plurality of elongatedinflatable tubes open at one end and closed at the other, each havingits open end fitted onto the end of one of said branch pipes such thatthe tube is suspended from its associated branch pipe and hangs into andbe surrounded by the material within the container, said tubes beinginflatable from the fluid pressure source to loosen the particulatematerial within the container to assist the removal thereof through saidopening.

4. Apparatus for storing particulate material comprising a containerhaving a base and a roof with side walls extending therebetween, anopening in the base, dispensing means connected with said opening forWithdrawing particulate material from the container, and a plurality ofelongated inflatable tubes suspended by their upper ends from the roofWithin the container andconnected at their upper ends with a source offluid pressure, said tubes being operable When inflated from said sourceof fluid pressure to loosen coagulated particulate material Within thecontainer adjacent said opening.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 further including a ring pipe on theroof, a plurality of branch pipes mounted in the roof connecting thering pipe with the interior of the container, each of said inflatabletubes being connected With one of said branch pipes, and means forconducting fluid under pressure to and from said tubes through said ringpipe and branch pipes to selectively inflate and deflate the tubes.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said conducting meanscomprises a pump connected with a source of fluid pressure, and a valvecontrolling said pump for selectively pressurizing and venting the ringpipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 ROBERT B. REEVES, PrimaryExaminer.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR STORING AND DISPENSING PARTICULATE MATERIAL COMPRISING:A HOLLOW CONTAINER, AN OPENING IN THE CONTAINER THROUGH WHICH MATERIALIS WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONTAINER, AT LEAST ONE FLUID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE,EXPANSIBLE AND CONTRACTABLE MEMBER SUSPENDED FROM ONE END WITHIN SAIDCONTAINER SO AS TO EXTEND INTO AND BE SURROUNDED BY THE PARTICULATEMATERIAL, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PRESSURIZING AND VENTING SAID MEMBERTO LOOSEN COAGULATED PARTICULATE MATERIAL SURROUNDING SAID MEMBER TOPERMIT THE MATERIAL TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONTAINER THROUGH SAIDOPENING.